Napoli’s sporting director has been discussing the successful transfer of Scott McTominay from Manchester United after his latest goalscoring heroics.
Manchester United allowed Scott McTominay to leave the club last summer in a £25 million deal to Italian side Napoli and there weren’t many concerns about the exit.
McTominay, 28, scored some important goals for United last term but was not a consistent starter and the cash received from that deal was all considered pure profit as he came through the club’s academy.
However, almost every United fan would be begging for McTominay’s goals this season as the Reds sit in the bottom half of the Premier League table with huge attacking problems.
The Scotsman, meanwhile, is firing Napoli towards a Serie A title challenge with his crucial contributions from midfield for Antonio Conte’s side.
In 35 appearances so far this term, McTominay has 12 goals and four assists – that is already his best performing season in terms of goal contributions.
Napoli director explains why McTominay is shining away from United
McTominay came up clutch for Napoli once again on the weekend as he scored twice in a 2-0 win over Torino to secure a three-point lead at the top of the table after Inter suffered defeat against Roma.
Some have suggested that the level of the Italian league has allowed McTominay to flourish at Napoli but their sporting director has a different assessment.
Giovanni Manna, the sporting director at the Italian club, believes that the ex-United star is standing out because he has been “put at the centre of a specific project” in Naples.
“There is too much work in daily life, that’s why it is difficult to watch so many footballers. Before I watch him, there’s the a job of the staff. Someone like McTominay does not need to be discovered, we knew he was an important footballer. He just had to be put at the centre of a specific project,” Manna told TMW.
Speaking further, Manna suggested that he will look towards the Premier League for more transfers going forwards. “The best league in the world, with the best players in the world,” he added. “The level is high, intensity, tactics, technique. There are many components that can have an impact in Italy.”
Was it the wrong decision to sell McTominay?
McTominay has always had the ability to be a dangerous goal-threat and Erik ten Hag managed to find him a role that suited him last term.
Napoli have seemingly just built on that and allowed the Scotsman to become a box-crashing midfielder who will guarantee goals and big moments.
For those at Old Trafford, the decision to sell McTominay wasn’t necessarily the wrong one at the time but he needed to be replaced well and that hasn’t happened.
United have not got enough goalscorers at the club and the Academy graduate was one of the few you could hang your hat on to put the ball into the back of the net.
He is proving that at Napoli, and looks set to win a league title during his first year in Italy.
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